1. Librarians’ Professional Identities
and Stereotypes through the
Evolution of Social Networking:
A Survey and Analysis
Cynthia Akers
Director of Instruction
Emporia State University Libraries and
Archives

2. What Prompted This Survey?
We know that patrons of all types of libraries can
hold certain stereotypes of librarians (and
sometimes, for very valid reasons!)
Stereotypes include:
• The Old Maid (not necessarily limited by gender)
• The Police (zealously guarding books)
• The Parody (comical or satirical representation)
• The Inept (socially awkward/uncomfortable)
Can you think of other stereotypes?
Attebury, “Perceptions of a Profession: Librarians and Stereotypes in Online Videos”. Library Philosophy and Practice,
2010. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/attebury.htm

3. Enter…Social Networking!
Assumptions: Social Networking Examples:
• Generation X/Y/Millennium Facebook (and to a
cultures may be more much lesser extent
comfortable with technology anymore, MySpace)
(digital natives)
Twitter
• As these cultures choose
professions, they may be more
apt to incorporate social Blogs
networking into library
presences and influence other
generations into doing so Google+
• Are, then, professional
identities affected positively, LinkedIn
negatively, or not at all by the
prevalence of social
networking tools? YouTube

4. What Does the Literature Say?
Not much, at present! The assumptions about
librarian identities and social networking about
have only recently been tested:
Ramirose Attebury (2010): Examined librarians and
stereotypes in online videos.
Most library literature covers either librarians’
attitudes toward the Internet, or “how-to” articles
on setting up a library’s Facebook or Twitter
presence for publicity, promotion, and outreach.

5. Survey: Summer and Early Fall 2011
• Zoomerang survey created for two audiences:
– Librarians and library personnel
• Librarians – defined as holding a Master of Library Science degree
or equivalent from an institution accredited by the American
Library Association
• Library personnel – working in a library but not holding above
degree
– Library and information science students
• Enrolled full-time or part-time in MLS or equivalent program in an
institution accredited by the American Library Association
• Approval for survey granted by ESU Institutional
Review Board
• No limit on type of library; responses solicited from
public, academic, school, special, and any other
libraries

6. Survey Distribution and Responses
Link to the survey and E-mail 800 responses
distributed to the following • 703 – librarians
listservs: • 64 – library personnel
• KANLIB-L (Kansas libraries) • 33 – library science student
• PUBLIB-L (public libraries)
• LIBREF-L (reference Further demographic breakdowns:
librarians)
• Librarians and library
• ILI-L (library instruction) personnel:
• DIGREF-L (digital reference) – 597-female; 100-male
• GOVDOC-L (government • Library science students:
documents) – 28-female; 2-male

7. Age Range of Respondents - Librarians and
Library Personnel
44
8 15 20-25
91
26-30
114
31-35
101
36-40
41-45
86 46-50
78
51-55
84
56-60
80
61-65

8. Age Range of Respondents -- Library and
Information Science Students
1
4
20-25
4
26-30
31-35
2
36-40
1 41-45
46-50
10
4 51-55
56-60
3
61-65
(No respondents 65 and over)

9. Librarians and Library Personnel:
What social networking tools do you use in your
professional/scholarly activities?
Facebook
171
Twitter
100
468
YouTube or similar online video
service
Blog
311
I do not use social networking
tools in my professional/scholarly
activities
Other (please describe)
286
239 “Other” included
LinkedIN, Google+, Google Sites, Google
Docs, Meebo, FourSquare, listservs, Fli
ckr, Goodreads.

10. Library and Information Science Students:
What social networking tools do you use in your
scholarly activities?
7
Facebook
19
Twitter
8
YouTube or similar online video service
Blog
I do not use social networking tools in my
scholarly activities
Other (please describe)
15
11
“Other” included
Plurk, LinkedIN, WebJunction, Ning, Moodle
12

11. Librarians and Library Personnel:
How often do you use these tools in your
professional/scholarly activities?
96 Daily
Weekly
40
247
More than twice a month
50
Monthly
71
Less than twice a month
I do not use social networking tools in my
professional/scholarly activities
211

12. Library and Information Science Students:
How often do you use these tools in your
scholarly activities?
Daily
7
Weekly
More than twice a month
Monthly
15 Less than twice a month
2
I do not use social networking tools in my
scholarly activities
1
2
3

13. How Do You See Social Networking
Tools as Changing One’s Professional
Identity?
Librarians and Library Personnel (424 comments)
“I am old:+)- I will always consider myself a librarian, not a social media maven. Social media are just another set of tools in my
professional toolkit.”
“Because these are tools of communication, I don't see them as changing one's professional identity, but simply as what it is: a
tool. Social networking is pervasive beyond our profession. I don't see the tool itself as having any more difference in changing
one's professional identity as, say, print on paper.”
“It is very much about presentation, PR, and marketing. Best face forward all the time! Having to understand that some media are
more effective than others by type of information being released. Having to have awareness that confidential data is not best
placed or is inappropriate for some social media platforms.”
“Very easy to blur the line between personal and professional. Can facilitate relationships, but can also cause problems. Useful for
spreading ideas and information quickly, but must be alert to misinformation and to information taken out of context.”
“It changes how you are seen by your colleagues, peers, and by the general public. You are now gauged by your conduct, by the
things you say, by the things others say about you, by what you write, by the way you write it, and through… face to
face, papers, peer review, presentations…For me, Twitter has been the best networking tool in the profession. It has both allowed
me to listen in on what others are doing and share my own experiences and resources through minimal effort and in a "drop-in-
to-view-the-current-news-whenever" kind of way. It has allowed me to make many more connections that then helps face to face
meeting at conferences, etc. than I would have otherwise.”
“I think that "social networking" is the latest hot trend in librarianship that, if you're not accepting of or mad about them, you will
be perceived as not "cool" and a "curmudgeon" - which conforms to stereotypes about librarians. I'm not saying I believe this
perception is valid or fair, but it seems to be the "reality" that pervades the library profession.”
“They might learn that we are up to speed and libraries are relevant to them in today's world. We can help them with information
shortcuts AND we can be fun (and funny) in our social networking!”

14. How Do You See Social Networking
Tools as Changing One’s Professional
Identity?
Library and Information Science Students
(22 responses)
“The most effective librarians today are the ones who are savvy in networking and use
them to their advantage.”
“I think we all have to be careful of our professional vs. personal online presence and
how (if) to distinguish between the two.”
“Kills the stereotype”
“I think it shows people other sides of yourself and helps you branch out to have
"conversations" and feel closer to others in your profession. Sometimes this can be
bad, as people can see negative as well as positive personality traits online. Something
you see online may change your view of the person. Usually it's good, but can also be
bad.”
“I think one's identity will be dependent on a person's ability to project
professionalism through these tools. Some people will be better at this than others.”

15. How do you see social networking
tools as affecting the future of our
profession?
Librarians and Library Personnel (437 comments)
“the more we are forced to dumb down our message the less value we will have.”
“From an academic librarian perspective, I would note that social networks take time away from reading or writing "scholarly
material," such as published articles in peer-reviewed journals. This is, in my opinion, a good thing--studies on scholarly peer
review make me doubt the validity of that system for weeding the good from the bad. And, anyway, the best peer review comes
from people deciding to share--or not share--something with their networks. I get better content from Twitter, most days, than I
do from journals.”
“I think that they will be another tool for our arsenal, but not something that is revolutionary. Ultimately, our job is to assist
people to find the information they seek; whether we do it by phone, text message, instant message, email, or face-to-face makes
little difference. It's similar to how we provide services in teaching, straight reference, collection development, and cataloguing.
All are different facets of connecting information to the user, and social networking tools are simply an addition.”
“Social networking tools will continue to evolve and become more useful to our profession. Right now the social networking
phenomenon is still just beginning to extend from individuals to organizations. Facebook really revolutionized the Web; making it
a more individually-focused tool capable of filtering contacts and content tailored to the user rather than the ‘crowd.’”
“Ideally? Keeping people energized and connected. The issue is supervisors who see it as a "waste of time" and don't allow
it, which leads to stagnation and isolation.”
“The line between librarians and journalists may blur. Clever use of social networking can also make it easier for libraries and
librarians to connect with potential patrons who never, or rarely, cross the physical threshold of the library.”

16. How do you see social networking
tools as affecting the future of our
profession?
Library and Information Science Students
(23 responses)
“Social networking tools and our ability to use them and let them work for us will
determine which libraries will remain stuck in the past and which will soar into the
future.”
“Don't know. The profession is very much the same in many ways as it has been for
decades. Ethics and customer service have always been important. How we do these
things is different but getting the right materials into the hands (or computers or
smart phones) of our customers is still very important.”
“Right now these function as an awkward add-on to our services. They probably
function better in a public library setting. Most of these tools have been out 5+ years
and to my mind have become stale -- I'm ready for a new generation of social
networking tools. All technological change affects our world and our profession to
some degree, but I don't think the current crop of social networking tools has or will
affect our profession much.”
“As long as we don't forget to keep that personal touch - I can see it opening up a
whole new area of library services.”

17. Is there anything else you would like to
comment about social networking tools and
librarian identity/profession?
Librarians/library personnel Library and information science
(219 responses) students
• It seems like people who don't use social networking
tools are being left behind. I worry for our
(8 responses)
profession, when people show such unwillingness to • I'm not worried about the generation gaps. I know
change their workflows. individuals (my parents' generation at least) who
are using social networks better than people my
• Frankly, I think we spend too much time worrying about age.
our identity. What's wrong with being what the public
believes us to be? If that's what they want from us, why • I'm a Millennial who's had a webpage half my life
not deliver? Isn't that our job? Who cares if they will and used generations of social networking tools. I
always think of us as stereotypical shushers? If we are like them, and I think they're changing things for
connecting them with the information they need, we're the good in many ways, but I think that in the rush
doing our job. If we're making them aware of to understand and use these tools, we should
information they didn't know they would be interested remember that in-person connections (between
in, we're doing our job. If we're reaching out with colleagues, between user and librarian) are still
education and opportunities, we're doing our job. The valuable and cannot be replaced in many cases.
public is being served, regardless of how they perceive Finding a balance is key!
us or how we perceive ourselves. Our focus should • People are human, and they are more than entitled
always be our patrons, not ourselves. to expressing themselves, however, with a position
• I am sensitive to the eventual disconnect that often comes responsibility, and in this position they
occurs within SN connectivity. I think I might have said should be professional on and off the clock, for
more did more sometimes and oftentimes feel that I their own reputation, and for the reputation of the
might have 'dropped the ball' and am keeping another establishment they work for.
person waiting who might be hoping or more
connection from me.

18. Conclusions and Next Steps?
• Analysis of data ongoing, but • Identify and survey a greater
preliminary findings are that population of library and
librarians/library personnel are information science students;
overall using social networking while sampling is too small at present
at the same time noting the blurring to extrapolate many comparisons
of professional/personal identities with other groups
and potential loss of privacy • Identify methods to survey library
• At present, no significant difference patrons – what are their
in generations regarding use of perceptions of
social networking and professional librarians, identity, and effects of
identity; perhaps some differences social networking?
in concerns (privacy; jumping upon
the latest technological “toy”; loss of
personal service)
What are YOUR thoughts about your discipline, stereotypes, social networking, and
professional identity? Let me know! cakers@emporia.edu